As-Sal\u0101mu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wabarakathuhu
\nMay the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of God be upon you beautiful people<\/p>\n
“Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” [Qur’an 17:81]<\/p>\n
Thursday, 2 June 2011
\nAbrogation in the Quran<\/p>\n
The Quran says in the following verse:<\/p>\n
“None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: knowest thou not that Allah hath power over all things?”<\/p>\n
[Al-Qur\u2019an 2:106]<\/p>\n
A reference to this is also made in chapter 16 verse 101 of Surah Nahl. The Arabic word mentioned is ayat which means \u2018signs\u2019 or \u2018verses\u2019 and which can also mean \u2018revelations\u2019. This verse of the Qur\u2019an can be interpreted in two different ways:<\/p>\n
a. The revelations that are abrogated are those revelations that were revealed before the Qur\u2019an, for example the Torah, the Zaboor and the Injeel.<\/p>\n
Here Allah (swt) says that He does not cause the previous revelations to be forgotten but He substitutes them with something better or similar, indicating that the Torah, the Zaboor and the Injeel were substituted by the Qur\u2019an.
\n(16:101)- \u201cWhen we replace a message with another and God knows best what He reveals, they say you have made it up. Yet most of them do not know\u201d<\/p>\n
Read the above verse and think carefully.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I ask, who was there to question Prophet that you have made it up yourself?<\/p>\n
1- it couldn\u2019t be the Sahabas for they believed him to be Prophet, they would accept whatever prophet would had said.<\/p>\n
2- Of course it couldn\u2019t be pagans, as they didn\u2019t believe in the Quran so it didn\u2019t matter to them that what was earlier and what gets abrogated. \u201cthey\u201d would never say such a thing on one verse being replaced by another and that you made up the later verse, as they did not actually believe the Quran was from God in the first place. They actually believed Muhammad had made up the entired Quran, so it is impossible for them to hold this belief and also say you have replaced a verse that was correct and true with one which is false and from you rather than God.<\/p>\n
Furthermore if you look at the verses before 16:101 you can see God talking about those who break the covenant with God and those who sell it for a miserable price, so it is quite clear the Quran is referring to those people who had previous revelation, thus making \u201cthey\u201d the Jews and Christians to whom the Gosepl and Torah were given.<\/p>\n
Thus we understand when God says;<\/p>\n
002.106<\/p>\n
YUSUFALI: None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?<\/p>\n
016.101<\/p>\n
YUSUFALI: When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, “Thou art but a forger”: but most of them understand not.
\nHe means replace Torah and Gospel, which is replaced with something better which is the Quran<\/p>\n
b. If we consider that the Arabic word ayat in the above verse refers to the verses of the Qur\u2019an, and not previous revelations, then it indicates that none of the verses of the Qur\u2019an are abrogated by Allah but substituted with something better or similar. This means that certain verses of the Qur\u2019an, that were revealed earlier were substituted by verses that were revealed later. I agree with both the interpretations.<\/p>\n
Many Muslims and non-Muslims misunderstand the second interpretation to mean that some of the earlier verses of the Qur\u2019an were abrogated and no longer hold true for us today, as they have been replaced by the later verses of the Qur\u2019an or the abrogating verses. This group of people even wrongly believe that these verses contradict each other.<\/p>\n
Let us analyze a few such examples.<\/p>\n
Produce a recital like the Qur\u2019an \/ 10 Surahs \/ 1 Surah:
\nSome pagan Arabs alleged that the Qur\u2019an was forged by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Allah (swt) challenges these Arabs in the following verse of Surah Al-Isra:
\n“Say: If the whole of Mankind and Jinns were together to produce the like of this Qur\u2019an they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.” [Al-Qur\u2019an 17:88]<\/p>\n
Later the challenge was made easy in the following verse of Surah Al-Hud:<\/p>\n
“Or they may say, “He forged it.” Say, “Bring ye then ten Surahs forged, like unto it, and call (to your aid) whomsover ye can, other than Allah, if ye speak the truth!\u2019.” [Al-Qur\u2019an 11:13]<\/p>\n
It was made easier in the following verse of Surah Yunus:<\/p>\n
“Or do they say, “He forged it”? Say: “Bring then a Surah like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can, besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!\u2019.”[Al-Qur\u2019an 10:38]<\/p>\n
Finally in Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah (swt) further simplified the challenge:<\/p>\n
And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Surah like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah if your (doubts) are true.But if ye cannot \u2013 and of a surety ye cannot \u2013 then fear the Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones \u2013 which is prepared for those who reject faith”. [Al-Qur\u2019an 2:23-24]
\nThus Allah (swt) made the challenges progressively easier. The progressively revealed verses of the Qur\u2019an first challenged the pagans to produce a book like the Qur\u2019an, then challenged them to produce ten Surahs (chapters) like those in the Qur\u2019an, then one Surah and finally it challenges them to produce one Surah somewhat similar (mim mislihi) to the Qur\u2019anic Surahs. This does not mean that the later verses that were revealed i.e. of Surah Baqarah chapter 2 verses 23 and 24 contradict the earlier three verses. Contradiction implies mentioning two things that cannot be possible simultaneously, or cannot take place simultaneously.
\nThe earlier verses of the Qur\u2019an i.e. the abrogated verses are still the word of God and the information contained in it is true to this day. For instance the challenge to produce a recital like the Qur\u2019an stands to this day. Similarly the challenge to produce ten Surahs and one Surah exactly like the Qur\u2019an also holds true and the last challenge of producing one surah somewhat similar to the Qur\u2019an also holds true. It does not contradict the earlier challenges, but this is the easiest of all the challenges posed by the Qur\u2019an. If the last challenge cannot be fulfilled, the question of anyone fulfilling the other three more difficult challenges does not arise.
\nSuppose I speak about a person that he is so dumb, that he would not be able to pass the year 10 in school. Later I say that he would not be able to pass the year 5, and further say that he would not be able to pass even the year 1. Finally I say that he is so dumb that he would not even be able to pass Nursery. One has to pass Nursery before one can be admitted to school. What I am stating is that the person is so dumbl as to be unable to even pass nursery. My four statements do not contradict each other, but my last statement i.e. the person would not be able to pass Nursery is sufficient to indicate the intelligence of that person. If a person cannot even pass Nursery, the question of him passing the year 1 or 5 or 10, does not arise.
\nGradual prohibition of intoxicants<\/p>\n
Another example of such verses is that related to gradual prohibition of intoxicants. The first revelation of the Qur\u2019an to deal with intoxicants was the following verse from Surah Baqarah:
\n“They ask thee concerning wine and gambling say: \u2018In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit\u2019.” [Al-Qur\u2019an 2:219]<\/p>\n
The next verse to be revealed regarding intoxicants is the following verse from Surah Nisa:<\/p>\n
“O ye who believe! approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say” [Al-Qur\u2019an 4:43]<\/p>\n
The last verse to be revealed regarding intoxicants was the following verse from Surah Al-Maidah:<\/p>\n
“O ye who believe! intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination of Satan\u2019s handiwork; eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.”<\/p>\n
[Al-Qur\u2019an 5:90]<\/p>\n
The Qur\u2019an was revealed over a period of 22\u00bd years. Many reforms that were brought about in the society were gradual. This was to facilitate the adoption of new laws by the people. An abrupt change in society always leads to rebellion and anarchy.<\/p>\n
The prohibition of intoxicants was revealed in three stages. The first revelation only mentioned that in the intoxicants there is great sin and some profit but the sin is greater than the profit. The next revelation prohibited praying in an intoxicated state, indicating that one should not consume intoxicants during the day, since a Muslim has to pray five times a day. This verse does state that when one is not praying at night one is allowed to consume intoxicants. It means one may have or one may not have. The Qur\u2019an does not comment on it. If this verse had mentioned that one is allowed to have intoxicants while not praying then there would have been a contradiction. God chose words appropriately. Finally the total prohibition of intoxicants at all times was revealed in Surah Maidah chapter 5 verse 90.
\nThis clearly indicates that the three verses do not contradict each other. Had they been contradicting, it would not have been possible to follow all the three verses simultaneously. Since a Muslim is expected to follow each and every verse of the Qur\u2019an, only by following the last verse i.e. of Surah Maidah (5:90), he simultaneously agrees and follows the previous two verses.<\/p>\n
Suppose I say that I do not live in Birmingham. Later I say that I do not live in West Midlands. Finally I say, I do not live in England. This does not imply that these three statements contradict each other. Each statement gives more information than the previous statement. The third statement includes the information contained in the first two statements. Thus, only by saying that I do not live in England, it is obvious, that I also do not live in Birmingham. Similarly since consuming alcohol is totally prohibited, it is obvious that praying in an intoxicated state is also prohibited and the information that in intoxicants is “great sin and some profit for men; but the sin is greater than profit” also holds true.<\/p>\n
Qur\u2019an does not contain any contradictions<\/p>\n
The theory of abrogation does not imply that there is a contradiction in the Qur\u2019an, since it is possible to follow all the verses of the Qur\u2019an at the same time.
\nIf there is a contradiction in the Qur\u2019an, then it cannot be the word of God<\/p>\n
“Do they not consider the Qur\u2019an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy (contradictions).”<\/p>\n
[Al-Qur\u2019an 4:82]
\nPosted by Leviathon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As-Sal\u0101mu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wabarakathuhu May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of God be upon you beautiful people “Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.”...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quran-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2011"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2014,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011\/revisions\/2014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}